The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for cooling a laminated multi-chip semiconductor device through a connector which laminated semiconductor device includes film carrier (hereinafter referred to simply as TAB: Tape Automated Bonding) type semiconductor devices wherein a semiconductor chip is connected electrically to a film carrier tape.
A conventional multi-chip semiconductor device cooling method is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid Open No. 36052/88 wherein the cooling is effected through radiation fins attached to semiconductor chips arranged planarly on a substrate. Further, as a cooling method for a packaging structure of an overlay arrangement in an SOP (Small Outline Package), reference is made to Japanese Utility Model Laid Open No. 261166/87.
According to the above conventional techniques it has been easy to mount radiation fins directly onto a semiconductor chip. In a laminated multi-chip semiconductor device according to the TAB method, however, it is only the top or the bottom layer that permits the mounting of radiation fins. Its structure does not permit the mounting of radiation fins to intermediate layers. Therefore, no consideration is given to direct cooling of such intermediate layers. Consequently, in the case of using semiconductor chips which generate a large quantity of heat during operation, or when plural layers are operated at a time, there occurs malfunction or deterioration of the semiconductor chips due to overheating. Also, there has been a problem of deteriorated reliability of connecting portions caused by thermal fatigue.